1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electromechanical toys. More particularly, the invention relates to an interchangeable frame for board game, a board game that requires precise grasping of objects and signals a player when the collecting of an object was not precise.
2. Description of the Related Art
Similar to many industries, the toy industry constantly adapts new technology to current products and trends as the cost of implementing new technology becomes economically efficient.
The efficiency of adapting new technology usually falls into either the cost of components for the toy or the manufacturing process of the toy. The components of electric feedback between a player motivated tool and a game board is well known and used.
For example, a board game that requires precise grasping of objects and signals a player when the collecting of the object was not precise is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,694 entitled “Laparoscopic Surgery Simulating Game” to Levin, issued Mar. 22, 1994. The '694 patent discloses a game whereby the player, acting as a surgeon, must remove articles from a patient. If the player's grasping is not precise the game audibly informs the player.
A similar use of electric feedback through a player manipulated tool and a board game, is a game that requires precise movement of a pointer within a preset path, signaling a player when the path is not followed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,846 entitled “Game Utilizing Electric Probe” to Glass et al., issued Aug. 1, 1967. The object of the subject game is for the players to utilize the tweezers to remove various objects from their respective cavities without touching the electrically conductive perimeter of those cavities with the tweezers during the extraction process, thereby simulating the successful performance of an operation. If the player should touch the perimeter of the cavity with the tweezers such action completes the electrical circuit and causes the buzzer to sound and the lamp to illuminate.
In particular, the aforementioned game consists of a plastic-framed platform in which a cardboard panel bearing the image of a cartoon-like male patient (designated as “Cavity Sam”) is located. An electrically conductive panel is located under the cardboard panel and is connected to one pole of a pair of batteries. A light bulb extending out a hole in the cardboard panel at the location of Cavity Sam's nose is electrically connected to the electrically conductive panel. A buzzer is also provided connected to the electrically conductive panel. The other pole of the batteries is connected to a pair of electrically conductive tweezers. A plurality of different, uniquely shaped openings are provided in the cardboard panel at various locations on the anatomy of Cavity Sam. The electrically conductive panel includes correspondingly shaped openings, but smaller in size than the openings in the cardboard panel, so that the periphery of the conductive panel about each opening therein is exposed.
The plastic platform includes plural cavities located under the openings in the cardboard and electrically conductive panels and into which the respective molded plastic objects are to be located. Each of these objects is humorously related to a respective portion of the anatomy of Cavity Sam. For example, one object is shaped like a bone and is located in a correspondingly shaped cavity designated on the arm portion of Cavity Sam's anatomy as a “funny bone.” Another object is heart shaped is located in a correspondingly shaped cavity designated on the chest of Cavity Sam as a “broken heart.” Still another object is shaped like a pail of water, is located in a correspondingly shaped cavity on Cavity Sam's knee and is designated as “water on the knee.”
The components for electric feedback with a player motivated tool and a board game are, therefore, well known and used. However, these games still present a problem when attempting to adapt their style of game play to a plurality of marketable board games featuring diverse appearances and characters using an economically efficient manufacturing process.
Apart from the actual materials used for the creation of the board game, the manufacturing process can create cost efficiency problems. Manufacturing techniques such as injection molding and various types of casting can create the game parts with little human interaction and relatively quickly. However, the most significant costs involved in these manufacturing processes are the assortment of molds needed to create the game parts, and the manufacturing down-time associated with setting up the different molds or castings, needed for a plurality of different board games featuring diverse appearances and characters, into their respective machines.
Therefore, a need exists for a game utilizing electronic feedback through a player motivated tool and a board game that can 1) reduce the number of molds or castings needed to create a plurality of marketable board games featuring diverse appearances and characters and 2) reduce the manufacturing down-time associated with setting up and switching between different molds or casting needed for board games featuring diverse appearances and characters associated with a plurality of different board games.